Chapter Seventeen: Alana – Boundaries and Vulnerability

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Alana endures a terrible day at work—a parent berates her, and two students skip her class. Her sister Antonella calls, the first contact in two years. Alana’s guilt compels her to answer despite knowing the pattern: Antonella only reaches out when she needs money or housing. Alana refuses to help again, citing the need to protect her daughter Cami. The argument escalates; Antonella insults Alana, calling her a coldhearted bitch and blaming her for chasing men away. Devastated but resolute, Alana hangs up. Later that night, she goes to the dock to decompress. Cal startles her, causing her to trip and embed splinters in her palms. He insists on removing them, and during the process they share nostalgic banter. Cal discovers Alana’s phone still has a compromising photo of him (from his arrest), and when he grabs the phone, he finds her passcode is his birthday. He deletes the photo, and they part with lingering tension and affection.

Key Events

Alana receives a flurry of bad news at work: a parent complains, two students are caught skipping.
Her sister Antonella calls after two years, asking for a place to stay and money.
Alana steadfastly refuses, citing her responsibility to Cami and the past betrayals.
Antonella verbally attacks Alana, accusing her of being cold and blaming her for failed relationships.
Alana ends the call with resolve, then visits the dock to calm down.
Cal appears unexpectedly, Alana falls and gets splinters in both hands.
Cal helps remove the splinters, teasing her about her fear of pain and reminding her of their childhood.
Cal notices Alana’s phone has a photo of him choking a police officer; he snatches it and deletes it.
While unlocking her phone he realizes the passcode is his birthday (0720).
The chapter ends with a flirtatious exchange, Cal walking away with a “big smile.”

Character Development

Alana shows significant growth by enforcing boundaries with Antonella despite deep emotional pain. She prioritizes Cami’s stability over her sister’s manipulation, a hard-won change from past mistakes. Her vulnerability with Cal—allowing him to touch her hands, trusting him with her pain—reveals her longing for connection and her fear of being hurt again. The revelation that she never changed her passcode hints at lingering feelings she may not want to acknowledge.

Cal demonstrates patience, gentleness, and memory for small details (the “sana sana” song, the Hello Kitty Band-Aid). He actively cares for Alana’s physical injuries and uses humor to ease her tension. His decision to delete the compromising photo shows his desire to move past his worst moments, and his discovery of the passcode suggests mutual hidden feelings.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Boundaries vs. Guilt: Alana’s struggle to say no to Antonella despite guilt is central. The chapter illustrates the cost of enabling codependence and the painful necessity of self-protection.
The Dock as Refuge: The dock represents Alana’s childhood safe space, a place to process emotions. It becomes the setting for both vulnerability with Cal and an accident that forces her to rely on him.
Splinters as Emotional Pain: The physical splinters mirror the sharp, lingering wounds of past relationships—with Antonella, with Cal, and with herself. Cal’s careful removal symbolizes his role in helping her heal if she lets him.
Nostalgia and Memory: Cal’s recollection of the “sana sana” song and the papercut memory shows how shared history can either soften or complicate the present.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter deepens Alana’s backstory, explaining her tense relationship with her sister and her fierce protectiveness over Cami. It also advances the slow-burn dynamic with Cal by forcing them into an intimate, caretaking moment. The discovery of the passcode (his birthday) creates a pivot point: Alana’s defenses are cracking, and Cal is beginning to understand how much he still means to her. The emotional whiplash between the painful family call and the tender splinter removal underscores the dual nature of Alana’s life—fractured family ties promising healing love.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Alana refuse to help Antonella, even though she feels guilty?
Alana has learned from past experience that enabling Antonella harms Cami’s emotional stability. Antonella has disappeared before after getting attached, and Alana cannot risk her daughter’s heart again. She also has no money left after paying off medical bills and previous rescue attempts.
How does Cal’s reaction to Alana’s splinters reveal his character?
Cal immediately takes charge, washes his hands like a surgeon, watches a YouTube tutorial to minimize pain, and uses humor to distract her. This shows his meticulous, caring nature and his desire to prove he is different from the drunk version Alana resents.
What does the passcode (0720) reveal about Alana’s feelings toward Cal?
Even though Alana claims she hasn’t changed it since she was sixteen, the fact that she never updated it to something else suggests subconscious attachment. Cal’s birthday remains a significant number to her, indicating unresolved emotions and a lingering connection to their shared past.